Behind Glass
by Anonymous Companion
Summary: AU King Odin has forbidden anyone to speak with Asgard's newest prisoner. A war is knocking on Asgard's door, and Jane searches for the key to Asgard's safety even though the council reassures her that all is well. Jane knows the solution remains hidden in a prison cell...but does Jane truly know of the risk she is willing to make by visiting the god of mischief?(not a spoiler fic)


**A/N:** Yahoo one-shot! I just thought of this a couple weeks ago and had to publish it before the movie came out. I hope this will set the Lokane minds wheeling and excited for this movie :)

This one-shot will most likely be an AU (hence why I put it in the summary) once the movie is released...but I do hope you enjoy it.

I apologize if I am off Thor comic lore...I mentioned a council in my summary (I don't know if there is one in Asgard...but that is probably the one plot point that went off from the cannon...then again this is a fanfic...but I just thought I would mention it).

As always...my love goes to my wonderful beta, Samantha. Thanks girl!

Disclaimer: Shhhhh I can _pretend_ to own these characters...right? ...no...I don't :( Marvel owns them and I don't make money from this.

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_"Only a fool rushes in where angels fear to tread." -Alexander Pope_

* * *

King Odin's decree was final. The prisoner was to be left in isolation for the remainder of his sentence.

Any violation against this command was considered an act of treason.

Thor stood by his father's ruling.

There was peace in Asgard... for a time.

It was only a day after Jane arrived when Malekith issued Asgard a foreboding message:

Surrender or perish.

The council was reluctant to respond to the threat.

Jane attended every meeting the council held and contributed her ideas, but they disregarded her opinion politely and told her to focus on her research.

She was reassured by Thor of Asgard's strong defense and border protection.

She once believed that was the same case with Earth.

...But she was proved wrong when Thor fell from the sky...and Loki brought his war.

During the final council meeting...she mentioned the idea of questioning Loki.

It seemed logical. She read of his previous experiences with the Accursed One, and Loki could have the answers they needed.

Thor did not outwardly support her suggestion as he believed his brother was beyond the use of reasoning and would be of no help.

The council shot down the idea quickly and moved onto the next topic.

She would never know if her theory was correct unless she spoke with Loki, which was off limits.

Jane understood Asgard was unwilling to accept the possibility of losing.

But Jane was equally unwilling to let Asgard fall...

Even if it meant she had to visit the psychopath who was locked away in a prison cell to get the answer she needed.

ooOOoo

Jane did not mention the nature of her plans to anyone. When she bade the royal family goodnight, she did not dress for bed. She thought her blue dress was a bit formal for an interrogation...but it had to suffice. As soon as the torches were doused, she waited until the hall was clear before she exited her room.

Her victory was short lived when two guards stopped her.

"My lady," the taller one called out, "you should not be out this late at night."

She cursed under her breath and realized she forgot Thor's command to have guards posted by her door ever since word of Malekith's ark was on the they told Thor of her whereabouts, she would not see Loki's cell while she remained in Asgard.

Putting on a composed face, Jane turned around and smiled as sweetly as she could manage. "Yes, I know. I was just on my way to...Thor's chambers."

"Whatever for?" The other guard spoke.

She had to contain an eye roll at their inability to catch the hint of her lie. She flushed red, hoping it would help her act. "Well...you know...to discuss things..."

The larger one cleared his throat. "Oh...apologizes...we thought you were...lost... m'lady."

They stepped aside, hiding the smirks on their faces. She hated lying...but the gullibility of people never failed to amaze her.

Jane stopped when she approached the enormous doors. Although Thor never told her where Asgard's prison was located, it was not difficult to guess. Thor made it his mission to keep those doors and what lay beyond them off their tour when she arrived. She mentioned them to him the other day, but he seemed eager to discuss another topic.

They were massive and had elaborate designs engraved on it. Jane knew it was locked by magic as well. Without a key, there was no possible way for her to get through the doors. She knew her best solution was to wait for a guard to open the doors. If she hid behind one of the pillars, she could slip through before it closed. It was probably the worst idea she had ever thought...but it could work. Jane would be in and out before anyone noticed.

She took her position behind the pillar and waited.

ooOOoo

The light outside dimmed and the moonlight came flooding into the palace. Jane stifled a yawn with the back of her hand. She had to guess it had been three hours since she began her escapade. She ached from head to toe in her cramped position behind the pillar, and her eyes were beginning to droop. She was losing faith... until she heard a loud creak of a door being opened.

Jane clamped her hand over her mouth to reduce the sound of her breathing. Placing one hand over the pillar, she allowed herself to look at the doors.

The Queen of Asgard, Frigga, stood in front of the doors. She had clearly come from the inside and was exiting. Jane had to control her surprised reaction. _Does Thor know about this?_ She wondered. _Has the queen visited Loki before?_

As if hearing her inner thoughts, Frigga turned to the pillar. Jane jumped back into her hidden position, but she was sure Frigga had seen her. Jane held her breath...waiting to hear her name being called.

But Frigga did not call Jane forth.

The queen walked back to the main corridor...leaving Jane alone behind the pillar.

Jane released her breath and slumped against the column. She was sure her plan was ruined the moment she saw Frigga...and Jane had enough of this for one night. _It's too risky._ She emerged from her hidden position behind the pillar.

Glancing one last time at the doors...Jane paused. She noticed something was off about them. She stepped closer.

_What the..._

One door was left slightly open.

It was wide enough to allow someone to sneak inside.

For whatever reason, Frigga left the door opened, and Jane took full advantage of the situation.

ooOOoo

Jane closed the door as quietly as she could, but the sound still echoed. She immediately felt the temperature drop. It was not freezing...but it was not pleasant. She hugged her cape closer to her body, and tentatively walked inside the new hallway. The area was relatively lit. The ceiling was very high, and columns lined the outer perimeter of it. There was no furnishing or drapes... just a long, narrow hallway. The sound of her feet echoed loudly as she walked forward. A source of light came from the end of the hallway. There was an open archway, which led into another room.

Standing on the top of a set of stairs, Jane looked into this new room.

_The prison of Asgard_.

She had imagined a dark, cold place with bars over cramped cells...but Jane was not surprised that even the prisons of Asgard were of an elite quality. It was a narrow, rectangular hall... lined with glass boxes. She could not see inside the boxes, but there was a golden tint around the glass.

She walked tentatively down the steps. Towards the end of the room, there was the largest box. Unlike the other cells, it was completely lit, and the golden glow around it was much brighter. It was the only light source in the room. She walked towards it...like a moth to a flame. It was filled with a bed, books, and a small table. It almost looked like an actual room rather than a prison cell.

It appeared uninhabited until a figure took a step away from his hidden view behind the column of his cell.

Jane froze.

Any sudden movement would reveal her presence to this prisoner.

The prisoner...who was the sole reason Jane had come down there in the first place.

_Loki_.

His back was to her as he walked along inner edge of his cell. The gold intensified on the glass wherever he stepped. One hand was curled behind his back while the other held a book... which he was reading intently. From his back, she saw he was dressed in a fitted, sleeveless coat, which came to the back of his knees. He wore a green shirt with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows and black trousers. His black hair was slicked and fell just above his shoulder blades.

_This was a bad idea...I do not even know what I wanted to say...maybe I can just walk back slowly and-_

"You are a fool to have come back here."

He snapped the book shut, but his back remained turned.

"I have already given you my answer," he mumbled. "It has not changed."

Jane could not find her voice to speak.

"Leave," he said softly as though no one was listening, "and save your breath."

Jane felt like she intruding on a private conversation...but she was the listener. She wondered whom he thought he was speaking with.

He turned around, but he still could not see her. She was grateful for the darkness surrounding her. The light from his cell only a certain distance, but he still knew of a presence in the dark. He looked so different from the newsreels she had watched of him on Earth. Stations recorded every second of the Battle of New York, and most of the recordings were of Loki. He appeared frantic and volatile...but now...he was relaxed and somewhat calm. The only similarity was the paleness of his skin. Jane could see Loki was very unlike Thor. Thor had a massive and overwhelming build, whereas Loki had a very striking appearance and a lean, yet deadly look.

"Are you deaf?" He asked, annoyed by the silence. "I will not ask-"

He stopped. The softness in his expression hardened...as if he realized something. "To whom am I addressing?"

She cleared her throat. "Jane...Jane Foster."

The anger in his face had dropped so fast she barely noticed. He straightened his back, and she could see a malicious smile fashion on his lips. Jane thought this look was far more sinister than the rage he was displaying just a moment beforehand.

He watched the area from where she stood in the darkness. "Do step forward, Miss Foster...the light only reaches so far from this cell."

The thought of moving closer to him made her uneasy. _ He's behind glass_..._he can't hurt me._ It was a reassuring thought, but it did not help her nerves. She moved slowly... inch by inch... until she came into Loki's view. He regarded her, letting his eyes travel from the bottom of her feet to her head. Jane felt like she was being studied, even though she was not the one behind the glass. She wanted to cross her arms, but she refused to let her unease manifest in front of him.

She observed him as well. He was taller than she imagined. The paleness of his skin was striking against the green cloth of his tunic and coat. She could not think of an equal to match his piercing green eyes. They were such trusting eyes... and it frightened Jane to know they were the eyes of a killer as well.

His smile deepened, and his eyes were lit with mischief. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Miss Foster?"

She twisted her hands in front of her. "I have a few questions."

"At this hour?" He asked, looking around the prison. "Not particularly the best time for an interrogation."

"Were you expecting someone else?" She asked in reference to his speech earlier.

His expression did not falter. "I can..._adapt_...to this unforeseen circumstance. Have you been planning this visit for some time?"

"...It was a last minute decision," she answered.

He regarded her answer for a moment before speaking. She could see he was processing her words. "Tell me," he began, folding his hands behind his back and letting the book disappear. "Is my..._brother_...aware of your 'last minute decision?"

_Damn._

"Is he?" He asked again with an innocent tone.

"Yes," she managed to say without a hitch in her voice.

"Lies do not become you, Miss Foster," he chided.

_Do I tell him? Do I tell him that Asgard could be in danger?_

"The truth," he said, interrupting her thought, "...will suffice."

_It's now or never_. She released her fear for a moment and spoke her mind. "I need your advice."

She could see he wanted to laugh, and she never felt like a bigger idiot in her life.

"Let me guess," he murmured with a smile. "With the council unwilling to see a possible defeat from the enemy... you have decided to take matters into your own hands... and you believe I will give you the answers you seek."

She could not have said it better herself.

He shrugged. "I would look elsewhere for a solution."

"There is _nowhere_ else," Jane stated. "You think I have not looked everywhere for an answer? I'm at a dead end, and no one seems to care...not even Asgard itself."

He crossed his arms. "Asgard has not fallen yet."

Jane took a step closer to the glass. "But that is the problem... what does _ye_t mean? A day? A year? A minute? By the time Asgard finally realizes of their mistake, Malekith will come crashing into the boarders."

He did not respond. She took the opportunity to ask the real question that was nagging her. "Will you not help Asgard?"

He let a moment of silence sit between them and allowed glare linger on her face.

"I am not of Asgard," he responded coolly. "Its fate is separated from mine."

_Does he even care?_ She knew he had a malicious nature, but was he cruel enough to let his home burn?

"So you are only looking out for you own skin?" She affirmed more so than asked. "What about the people?"

He shrugged. "One must survive to be called a survivor."

_Unbelievable_..._it's like talking to a wall._ She shook her head. "So is that what you want to be known as? A 'survivor?'"

"I am not the hero of the story," he remarked. "I leave that business to the _mighty _Thor_._"

She ignored his jab to his brother. "When everyone's dead... will you regret the choices that made you as a 'survivor?'

"My actions are mine and mine alone," He growled. "Take the only advice I will ever give you: Look to only yourself, and do not rely on others, mortal."

Jane exhaled sharply. "Asgard is your home! Do you even care to think about what will happen to your family if Asgard is lost?"

"Do not patronize me," he snarled. The playfulness in his tone was gone.

"How can you sit by and watch your friends and family go to war-"

"_Silence." _he hissed. Jane clamped her mouth shut. The glass frosted over with ice where Loki stood, and the green color in his eyes blackened. "You think I will be more inclined to speak when pushed in a certain direction? That I do not know the consequences of my choices?"

He rose to his full height. "You know _nothing_... I have stood longer than your people could crawl... I am worshipped and feared by all creatures of the nine realms... My name brings rulers to their knees."

The dismissive attitude he was giving fueled her temper. "Did **_your _****_name_** receive a proper welcoming on Earth?" She questioned. "Did **_your _****_name_** win over the human race when you killed innocent people and enslaved them with your magic? Did **_your _****_name_** bring the Avengers to their knees? Or when you were thrown in this cell-"

The table and contents of the room were knocked over by Loki's magic. Had it not been for the glass...Jane would have been on the floor as well. His voice dipped low, but he spoke evenly. "Heed this warning, Jane Foster. This glass is temporary...and _when _I am free...and when the moment comes... _my name_ will be the one you scream when my hands are wrapped around your pretty little throat...when I crush the very soul out of your body." Suddenly, Jane felt like the glass was not there. "My face will be the last image you see before I take your life...and it will be the nightmare of your eternal hell."

She was breathing deeply when he finished his speech. Logic told her to ignore his words, but she could not shake the feeling of dread that washed over her.

"You cannot hide the fear in your eyes, now," he snickered.

As if on cue, Jane heard footsteps from the other hallway. It was the guards arriving to complete their nightly watch.

Loki looked to the archway. "Run along, little mortal... while you can escape me."

Jane knew she had to return if she did not wish to get caught. She glared at him and pushed aside her fear once more. "This conversation is not over."

"Far from it, _my lady_," he promised with a devilish smile.

Indeed...their story had only begun...

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**A/N: **

Now I am off to wallow in my feels with this entire Tom touring the globe for Thor 2 and the trailers/clips being released from the movie. I cannot wait until Thor 2 hits theater!

Thoughts? Like it? Hate it? Please leave me a message in the reviews! I read and appreciate every one!

Thank you for reading!


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